School Libraries

School libraries recognized for 21st century learning and teaching

Ten school libraries have been recognized by the South Dakota State Library as 21st Century School Libraries for 2014.

The recognition program identifies school libraries as Effective, Enhanced or Exemplary, based on performance in three areas: place, which refers to the learning environment, both physical and online; programming; and professionalism.

This is the second year of the recognition program for school libraries. Applicants conduct a self-assessment and provide evidence of their ability to meet South Dakota's guidelines for school libraries. Award status is valid for a two-year period.

Representatives of the selected libraries will be honored at the annual Systems Change Conference Oct. 17 in Pierre.

School Library Chats are moving to Twitter

Make sure you have your Twitter account set up and ready to go for the first School Library Twitter Chat on Nov. 6. The topic of the chat will be "Student Learning Objectives in the Library: How's it going?"

The Twitter Chat will begin live at 3 p.m. (MT)/ 4 p.m. (CT). Follow the hashtag #SCHSDSL. Joan Upell (@Wowapi) will be the moderator. The chat will be archived and available for all to view. Watch for the archive link via the school library listserv on Nov. 7.

If you're new to Twitter here's some helpful background information: janetfouts.com

The South Dakota Department of Education's Division of Career and Technical Education is partnering with the State Library to host School Library Regional Meetings during the first week of December. From those "What do you want to be when you grow up?" conversations with pre-school and elementary students to high school Capstone experiences, career exploration is important to guide students of all ages as they prepare for college, career, and life. During this year's Regional Meetings you will learn how school libraries can provide a wealth of resources to help students along the way.

The Regional Meetings, hosted at South Dakota's four technical institutes, will serve as a platform to plan for career exploration for all grades. Each meeting will include training on SDMyLife by Regional Career Development Specialists and a showcase of free online resources provided by the State Library for all grades as they learn about careers, develop skills, and practice for exams. Participants will also receive a tour of the technical institute. All librarians are encouraged to bring a fellow teacher along to this year's Regional Meetings to open doors to classroom collaboration. Join us for this opportunity to engage in conversations and learn ways to incorporate these resources into library lessons and partnerships with classroom teachers.

Registration details will be available soon. All meetings will be held from 1- 4 p.m. local time.

The Cornerstone monthly e-newsletter is created by the South Dakota State Library. For more information on how to be a part of this newsletter, please contact us via e-mail with your questions and ideas.